Tenchi Revelation
by jayb
Summary: Lady Tokimi wants to eliminate Tenchi. Is it possible to stop her?


**TENCHI - REVELATION **

The afternoon was gray, cool and damp, a typical late fall day. Ayeka was upstairs dusting, while Ryoko did her cleaning duty in the living room, with her favorite TV soap on. The resident Galaxy Police officers, Mihoshi and Kiyone, were away on patrol. From the kitchen came the sound of singing and chopping as Sasami prepared the evening meal. The love of all their lives was still at the shrine with grandfather, but they wanted to have their home ready for Tenchi when he came in.

In mid-chop Sasami's eyes widened, and she grabbed her head, the chopper falling to the floor almost hitting an unsuspecting Ryo-Ohki who gave a startled 'meow'. Her scream of anguish was even heard by Ayeka in the upstairs room. Ryoko teleported to the kitchen, finding the sobbing Sasami leaning against the cabinets. Kneeling down she was grabbed in a tight hug by the crying girl. Ryoko held her and wiped at her eyes.

"Sasami, what's wrong? Did you cut yourself? Can you tell me what hurts? Ayeka, get down here now! Hush, hush. Sasami. Come on, tell me what happened?"

Sasami's tear filled eyes and stained cheeks turned up to Ryoko, just as Ayeka came through the door.

"Ryoko, sister! I can't feel Tenchi! It's like he's dead to me!"

Ryoko's head turned to the startled Ayeka. "Here, hold her, I'm going to the shrine! See if you can find out anything else."

Ripping off her dusting coat, Ryoko teleported to the shrine yard. From the air everything seemed quiet, maybe too quiet. She didn't see Tenchi or grandfather on the shrine grounds. Moving around the shrine, she saw the broom laying on the ground by the walkway. She flew to the shrine office and went inside through the roof. At his desk grandfather was writing in his journal.

"Well, Ryoko, you don't usually come in that way. Is dinner ready already, I didn't think it was that late?" Turning he saw the look of fear on Ryoko's face. "All right, what's going on?"

"Where's Tenchi? I need to know now, right now!"

Ryoko's concern made him stand. "Tenchi is sweeping by the shrine, didn't you see him on your way in? I left him there just a few minutes ago." His further comments were made to the air, as Ryoko disappeared from the room.

As before the broom still lay on the ground where it had been dropped. Ryoko flew higher, but there was no sign of Tenchi. She too could not feel him anywhere near, and knew what Sasami was talking about. It was like a black hole in her heart and mind, nothing there, only emptiness. Seeing Yosho come out of the office, she called to him to keep looking for his apparently missing grandson, she was going back to the house.

Reappearing in the kitchen, Ayeka was still kneeling holding the sobbing girl. She could see from the look in Ryoko's face that Tenchi hadn't been found at the shrine. "Ryoko, no sign of him? Could we have another Haruna?"

"No, I don't think so. Somehow this doesn't feel the same to me. Is Washu in her lab?" Not waiting for an answer, Ryoko flew to the closet door, and went in.

"Washu, Washu! Are you in here?"

Sitting in the middle of what appeared to be an underwater room, the universe's greatest scientist looked up at her frantic daughter. "Settle down. It doesn't help to have people running around and yelling at me. What can I do for you this time?"

Ryoko grabbed the front of Washu's shirt. "Washu, Tenchi has disappeared again. Only this time both Sasami and I can't feel him anywhere! Come on, do something! You're just sitting there!"

"All right, all right, you can let go now. Let's see what we have here. Move over, you're crowding me." She started to punch pseudo buttons on her dimensional computer. Ryoko leaned over Washu's shoulder to see the results of her search. Washu looked out of the corner of her eye and raised an eyebrow at her daughter. "Ryoko, go back to the living room. Shoo, shoo! I can't do anything like this. Out, get out! Pesky children are always getting in the way of a parent's work."

Alone once again, Washu pushed a few more buttons. "This is interesting. Haven't seen this since... I don't remember. What was this? That damn memory block beyond 20,000 years! Come on, think Washu, where did I see this pattern?" Mumbling to herself, she continued her search.

Ryoko reentered the living room to find Sasami stretched out on the couch with a damp cloth on her forehead. Ayeka was holding to one of her hands, while holding the cloth in one place with the other. Going over to the still crying girl, she took the Sasami's other hand in hers.

"Ryoko, did Washu find anything?" Ryoko shook her head in the negative. Looking down at Sasami Ryoko gently stroked one wet cheek. "We'll find him, don't worry. Sasami, I can feel it too, the emptiness, we'll find him." Reaching over she took Ayeka's hand in hers. "Ayeka, sister, we'll just have to work together again won't we? We can do it!" Ayeka looked up with a tear in her own eye, and gave Ryoko's hand a squeeze. "Yes, you pesky pirate, we can do it again."

Hours later Washu finally appeared in the living room. "I may have something to go on. Does anyone remember what happened to Dr. Clay's ship? We need the navigation modules, I think an answer may be in them."

The girls looked with surprise at their resident scientist. Finally Ryoko found her voice. "Washu, you are talking about the Dr. Clay that had me imprisoned so he could capture you? That was years ago, how can his ship navigation module help us now? Besides, didn't the Galaxy Police take possession of what was left of his ship, the part with the control room?"

Ayeka thought a moment. "What about his shuttle? Wasn't he captured by Ryo-Ohki while trying to escape from the main ship in the shuttle?"

Washu looked deep in thought. "Ayeka, you're right, I had forgotten that! Of course he was in his shuttle. And I believe that I have it stored somewhere safe, just in case I ever needed it. Now where did I put that?" She headed back to the closet door mumbling to herself.

Ayeka looked over to Ryoko. "How do you think Dr. Clay's shuttle can help us find Tenchi? She never did explain that." Ryoko just shook her head. "I don't know, but I'm sure she has a good idea. She hasn't led us wrong yet, even if we do take some detours sometimes."

Later that night, Sasami had been taken to her room, and both Ayeka and Ryoko were laying on the living room couch in a half sleep. Yosho sat near the wall in meditation. Washu came noisily through the closet door carrying a small glowing cube. "Get up you two! You've a trip to make, and the sooner you leave the better for Tenchi. Rise and shine!"

Ryoko opened an eye and looked at Washu. "You've got it! Who's going with me?" Washu was deep in thought for a moment. "Ryoko, you and Ayeka both need to go. And this time take Sasami with you. Yosho and I will take care of things here while you're gone." While Ayeka went to get Sasami, Washu handed the small cube to Ryoko.

"This has the navigation data you need. As I thought, octopus head had used the shuttle for his trip, and the record hadn't been wiped. Without this data you would never be able to find the destination." Ryoko looked at her and frowned. "Washu, exactly what is our destination? You're being awful vague about this."

Washu lowered her head. "I'm sorry, daughter, but I don't know what it is. All I can tell you is that will be dangerous. I can't tell you what you'll find when you get there. I'm sorry. Take care of everyone, I know you can do it!"

Ayeka and Sasami came down the stairs and the three travelers went to the lake side. Ryo-Ohki shifted to her ship mode, took her passengers on board, and flew into the night sky with a lingering 'meow.' Standing by the lake Washu and Yosho watched them disappear into the early morning sky. "Washu, do you really think they will find Tenchi?" Lowering her head slightly, Washu spoke softly in reply. "To be honest, Yosho, I don't know. There is something here that I can't get straight, and my scientific genius isn't helping much. We can only hope I'm right on this. Tenchi may not be back otherwise."

TWO:

Tenchi, with his arms still crooked as if he was holding a broom, stared at the floor beneath him. A second ago it was a walkway at the shrine, now what he saw looked like dull metal, or polished stone! Raising his eyes he saw what seemed like an immense room, something resembling the western cathedrals pictured in his father's architecture books, only much, much larger. He spun around trying to get his bearings, but saw nothing remotely like the Masaki shrine. He seemed to be standing on a large circular stage in the middle of the air. He heard a voice, but couldn't tell if it was in his mind, or if he heard it through his ears.

"Tenchi Masaki, the Lady Tokimi wishes to speak with you!"

Looking around, and then up, he saw what looked like a huge bearded man's head, with flowing long hair. Tenchi didn't see any lip movement, but did see something that looked like a jewel in the middle of the vision's forehead.

Standing tall and unafraid Tenchi asked what he thought were relevant questions. "Who are you? Where am I? Who's Lady Tokimi? What am I doing here?"

"The Lady Tokimi will answer what she wishes to answer." The head faded from view to be replaced with a vision of a beautiful woman in flowing robes. Tenchi noticed that to each side of the woman's shoulders were many shadows. To his mind the first on each side were somehow familiar.

"Tenchi Masaki, you should not exist. You are a threat to all dimensions, and this threat will again have to be eliminated."

Tenchi's mouth fell open and his eyes widened as he staggered backward. "Whoa there! I'm a shrine priest in training, I'm no threat to anyone! What do you mean a threat to all dimensions? I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Tenchi Masaki, do you know how to control your powers? Can you call on those powers to do your will whenever you wish? Do you even know how great your powers are? Because you cannot answer these questions, you must be eliminated as a threat."

Standing a little straighter, Tenchi looked up at Lady Tokimi. "Of course I know where my power came from! I'm the crown prince of Jurai, I have the Juraian power. What does it matter that I don't call the power up at will, or know how great the power is. Those aren't valid questions. You can't 'eliminate' me for that!"

"Very well, Tenchi Masaki."

Again what Tenchi saw around him changed. He now stood on a dusty ground bathed in a gray glow. Looking up he saw a few stars, no sun, no moon, no clouds, only a glow. The landscape was desolate, with a crooked branch stuck up here and there like the remains of trees, and a constant wind blew the dust around him. Before him was a natural bowl in the earth. At the opposite end of the bowl was a great slash in the ground, blackened at the edges. Beside him stood what appeared to be Lady Tokimi, but she was his size now.

"Do you recognize this?" Tenchi looked at the bowl and the sky. He lowered his head and spoke in a whisper. "Yes, this is where we fought Kain with my mother. Why did you bring me here?"

"First another question of you, Tenchi Masaki. There is a rescue party coming to your aid. Of those on the ship who do you wish to stand beside you for my judgment?"

Tenchi frowned and watched Lady Tokimi. "A rescue ship? It has to be the girls with Ryo-Ohki. I can't decide which one I need for this, I want them all! We always work as a team."

The vision of Lady Tokimi seemed to enlarge to a point where she was looking down at Tenchi. "Tenchi Masaki, that is precisely the reason you must be eliminated. You have too much indecision, and can only react to a situation. In this place, you were injured immediately by Kain, and your mother exhausted her powers because you were out of the battle. With Dr. Clay, you were able to escape from his created black hole, with Princess Ayeka and Detective Mihoshi, and were not affected. You have no control of your powers and apparently do not wish to gain that control. Now, I ask again, who do you wish to stand by you in this place?"

"If I can only choose one, I choose Ryoko." He stood defiantly and watched Lady Tokimi. She returned the look. "And why do you choose this person over the rest?"

Tenchi hesitated a moment before answering. "I guess because I always know she will be there to support me. It is as if she knows me more than anyone else in our family does. And her strength is almost as great as mine. Is that a good enough answer for you?"

The image of Lady Tokimi bent it's head slightly. "If this is true, why have you not chosen her as your partner above all the others in your world? Or is your indecision stopping you? Your answer is not complete."

Tenchi stood in thought for a moment. "Yes, I'm afraid you're right. I haven't made that decision because of the others in my family. I'm afraid that I'll lose everyone else if I choose one of them. I don't want to do that. I don't want to hurt anyone."

Lady Tokimi grew a little larger so she was looking down at him from farther away. "And was anyone hurt in this place, Tenchi Masaki?"

"My dad was hurt pretty badly by Kain. And I guess you can say that my mom was hurt because she used up the Juraian power that could have saved her life from the disease she had. I was shaken up some, but Ayeka and Ryoko were okay. What does this have to do with anything?"

A soft noise, and a surprised 'huh' came from behind Tenchi. He whirled around to see Ryoko standing there with a confused look in her eyes. "Tenchi, what happened? I was on board Ryo-Ohki and then I'm standing here." She saw Lady Tokimi a short distance away, and took a defensive stance with her chi sword lit. "Who's this? Tenchi, where are we? Are you hurt?"

Tenchi reached out and touched her arm. "Put the sword away. So far I'm okay, but Lady Tokimi here may have other ideas later. We seem to be in sub-space where we fought Kain. Other then that, I'm as lost as you are." Ryoko's sword disappeared, and Tenchi took her hand in his and pulled her closer to him. "All right, Lady Tokimi, now you have us, what do you plan to do with us?"

"Tenchi Masaki, if this is the one you have chosen for your partner, why have you not given her back her full power? Are you afraid she will be greater than you, or that you can not control her?"

Ryoko rolled her un-jeweled wrist over and frowned. Tenchi looked at Lady Tokimi and pulled Ryoko closer to him. "No, Lady Tokimi, I'm not afraid of her, or her power. I was when we first met, but not now. I guess that I thought my sword wouldn't work without her jewels in the hilt. It never occurred to me to return the others to her." Turning to Ryoko he squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry I haven't given the others back to you. Will you forgive me?"

Ryoko had a confused look on her face. "Well, of course I forgive you. But I have done okay without them. Tenchi, what is this woman talking about? Why does she keep talking about people being hurt? What does she mean your 'partner'?"

Lady Tokimi turned slightly toward Ryoko. "Ryoko, I asked Tenchi Masaki who he wanted to stand with him. He chose you for your strength and your knowledge of him. The answer was not complete. I asked him if anyone had been hurt at this place, and his answer was again not complete. Because of his lack of knowledge he is a menace to all dimensions, and must be eliminated."

Ryoko's eyes widened, and she pulled away from Tenchi's grip. Her chi sword lit again. "Look at me lady. Not you, or anyone else, is going to do anything to my Tenchi! You have to go through me first. Get behind me Tenchi!" She tried to leap at Lady Tokimi, but her feet felt as if they were glued to the ground, and her arms wouldn't move to swing the sword. Lady Tokimi smiled at her, and looked at Tenchi.

"Tenchi Masaki, what does your Ryoko show me that you have never shown to her or anyone else?"

Tenchi stood looking at her and the frozen in place Ryoko, his face took a look of deep thought. "I know now, Lady Tokimi, I think I know what you want from me." Lady Tokimi grew larger before the pair. "You think you know? Your answer may be the difference between elimination and continuing life in your dimension. What do you 'think' you know?"

Reaching out Tenchi touched Ryoko's hand. The sword disappeared, and Ryoko's body relaxed. Taking both her hands in his, he looked Ryoko in the eyes. Ryoko still had a puzzled expression on her face. He turned his head toward the goddess and spoke softly. "I have been through battles and years of quiet daily life with Ryoko. I told you about her strength, but I left something else out that is more important. She loves me unconditionally, and always has since we met. I have never said how I felt about her, yet she still loves me. You were right about my indecision, this was part of it. I have been indecisive, and the people in my family have suffered for it, they have been hurt by me all these years. I had never thought of it in that way before. Ryoko has been hurt even though I never meant it to happen." Tenchi turned fully to Lady Tokimi, still holding one of Ryoko's hands, her fingers interlocked with his. "Lady Tokimi, I guess I love Ryoko as much as she loves me. That's the real reason I wanted her to stand with me. I was too afraid of the word to use it." He pulled Ryoko closer, and gave her a smile. Seeing her tear streaked cheeks he brushed a tear away. "I want you to stay with me forever. I do love you, and I hope you do know that is the truth. I guess that I've known that for a long time, but just haven't been strong enough to say it." He kissed her on the lips, and held her close, Ryoko returned the hug with a sob.

The moment was broken by Lady Tokimi. "Tenchi Masaki, you have saved your existence in your dimension for now. Do you agree sister?" Tenchi and Ryoko looked at the goddess with confusion. A familiar voice from behind them made them turn. There stood Tsunami, with a slight smile. "Yes, I believe that does help their dimension, my sister, Lady Tokimi. Did you explain about this place to them?"

Tenchi and Ryoko turned back to Lady Tokimi and looked up to her. She had grown again, and it felt as if her power had increased also.

"In your dimension there are two beings that almost match our power. Both are now standing before me. Ryoko, your power was given you by Lady Washu with the jewels you wear. Tenchi Masaki, you did have Juraian power, but it was magnified by my sister, Lady Tsunami, during the battle at the Souja. She revived you and made your body whole by combining with you. Your new increased power was an extra gift from that action." Tsunami nodded her head when the couple looked toward her. "Ryoko can control her power, and has used it only in defense of her true love Tenchi Masaki. That love she has actually acts as an anchor for her, she is in control. Tenchi Masaki, you have been filled with indecision. You can not control your power, and because you have never focused yourself on one person, you do not have an anchor. You can be controlled by others and that has been a great danger to your dimension."

"The fight that occurred in this place had several consequences to those involved. You, Tenchi Masaki, named those injured here, but you left out one more. The being you knew as Kain was destroyed here." Lady Tokimi , and her sister, Lady Tsunami, who now stood beside her, both looked at Ryoko. "Kain was the name given by the Galaxy Police for identification, it was not the true name of the being." Ryoko held Tenchi's hand a little tighter. "The being you knew as Kain came from another dimension. After destroying it's own dimension, it entered yours and caused great destruction before being subdued by Jurian power and the Galaxy Police sub-space generators. That being had lacked control of it's power in it's original dimension. It did not have an anchor." Ryoko stared at Lady Tokimi, and began to shake her head, silently mouthing the word 'no'. "The being from the other dimension was originally a space pirate that loved solitude and destruction. Her name was Ryoko. You see Tenchi Masaki, your mother destroyed a Ryoko at this place." Tenchi fell to his knees, but still held to his Ryoko's hand. "That is the consequence of not having control of your powers. If you do not have the anchor needed, you could misuse that power, and your dimension, as well as others, would be destroyed. Until you admitted that you did have that anchor in your heart, you would have been eliminated. Do you now understand, Tenchi Masaki?"

Tenchi raised his head to look at the two goddesses that floated in front of he and his acknowledged love. "I understand my Ladies. I thank you for the chance to change." Ryoko reached down and pulled him up to stand equally beside her. Her hands were shaking, and she had a stunned look on her face. Tenchi put his arm around her waist, and held tightly to her.

Lady Tokimi and Lady Tsunami both grew in size where they stood. Nodding her head, Lady Tokimi gave a slight smile. "Tenchi Masaki, Ryoko, I am through with you for now." Tenchi and Ryoko faded from the desolate ground. The Lady Tokimi turned to her sister. "You do realize this is your problem?" A smiling Tsunami nodded, "I believe we've taken care of it for now. But I do worry about their children." Lady Tsunami gave a small bow and faded from view.

THREE:

The three girls stood in the control area of Ryo-Ohki. Sasami had a pained look on her face and held her hands gripped tightly together. "Ryoko, can't we get Ryo-Ohki to go faster? What could be happening to my Tenchi?" Looking at Ayeka over her shoulder, Ryoko gave a sharp reply. "Let's watch that 'my Tenchi' business, Miss Priss. We're going as fast as I can get her to go. She won't fall for the hot pepper trick again."

Suddenly, Ryoko disappeared! Ayeka moved toward the spot where the pirate had been, but there was nothing there. Ryo-Ohki gave a few questioning 'meows'. "Sasami, what happened? Did you feel anything just then?" Turning toward her sister, Sasami started to say something, but as she opened her mouth she too disappeared from sight!

Alone in the control area, Ayeka began to panic. Ryo-Ohki began a long series of 'meows' as if she was trying to tell the princess something. "Oh, Ryo-Ohki, I can't understand you! Keep going to the coordinates in the navigation cube. I'm sure that we'll find everyone there. There's always hope or that!" As she spoke the glowing navigation cube dropped from the console. Before it hit the deck there was a sharp pop and flash of light, as the cube exploded. Ayeka let out a cry of hopelessness and fell kneeling to the floor. "Ryo-Ohki, can you continue to the coordinates? What is going on here?" Ryo-Ohki gave a few sharp 'meows' in reply. Ayeka knelt on the deck sobbing as Ryo-Ohki slowed to a stop in space.

The control area brightened and Ayeka looked up. Before her was a planet glowing in its sun's light. Her hope dropped when she realized it was the earth. She was back where they had started! But how, she wondered, they had been flying for hours away from the earth?

Ryo-Ohki came over the house and dropped the princess to the ground before changing back to her furry self. In front of the house Washu and Yosho stood with a looks of concern on their faces. Washu gasped and spoke first,"Ayeka, why are you back? Where's Ryoko and Sasami?"

Ayeka explained what had happened to her fellow travelers, and Washu's eyes widened. "Ayeka, I don't think you noticed yet. You, Ryoko and Sasami left less then five minutes ago! But you're telling me you were hours into the journey and far from here when they disappeared. Let's go inside, I have some work to do. There's more here than we know about." Taking the shocked Ayeka's hand she led her toward the living room of the house.

Entering the sliding glass door they were greeted by the sight of Tenchi and Ryoko standing near the couch holding to each other. Near to them stood Sasami. All three previously missing persons had looks of bewilderment.

Seeing Ayeka coming in Sasami ran to her and gave her a hug. "Sister! How did I get here? I was with you on Ryo-Ohki, then Ryoko disappeared. Next thing I knew I'm standing here!" Ayeka looked at Sasami, and then at the couple near the couch that didn't seem to want to separate from each other. "I don't know Sasami, I just got here myself. Tenchi, Ryoko how did you get here? Ryoko, let Tenchi go this minute! Tenchi, are you hurt? Where were you?"

Tenchi looked down at Ryoko, who had laid her head on his chest. He turned to look at Ayeka and gave a small smile. "Ayeka, grandfather, I can't begin to tell you where we were. Maybe someday I will try, but not today. For the moment just let me be here, okay?" He pulled Ryoko's arms from around him. "I'll be back in a minute, don't move from here, understand?" Ryoko smiled and nodded. Tenchi left and went to his room upstairs. By the door Ayeka's eyes began to narrow as she watched the parting scene. "Ryoko, you pirate, what have you done to my Tenchi? I'll bet you planned all this just to be with him somewhere quiet! I demand you leave him alone!"

Tenchi was returning down the stairs just as Ayeka was finishing her demand. "Ayeka, just a minute please, I have something to do here." Going to Ryoko he held out the hilt of his sword 'Tenchi' toward her. "Ryoko, put your arm out." She did, and the jewels began to glow and then disappear. One reappeared on Ryoko's empty wrist, the other as an earring. She smiled at Tenchi and then looked over to Ayeka. "Tenchi, may I?" He smiled agreement, and took her hand in his. Ayeka watched wide eyed the entire procedure, then bowed toward Ryoko. "I believe I am in the presence of the future Mrs. Masaki? May I be the first to congratulate you." Slightly raising her head, and with tears in her eyes, she gave a slight smile and added, "You pesky pirate!" Ryoko let go of Tenchi's hand and reached for Ayeka. "Thank you, sister, you prissy princess!"


End file.
